The European Space Agency is preparing to test a second-generation optical data link for unmanned aerial vehicle applications with its Artemis technology satellite beginning next year. Meanwhile, EADS Astrium says its Silex optical delay relay on Artemis has performed its 1,000th communication between the ESA spacecraft and the Spot 4 imaging spacecraft, which it was designed to serve. Silex is due to begin transmitting imagery from the Japanese space agency JAXA's Oicets spacecraft this autumn, as it has been for Spot 4 since October 2003.
Russia's Vympel is touting an active radar-guided version of the R-73 (AA-11 Archer) air-to-air missile, overcoming some of the limitations of its present infrared seeker.
Like American Airlines and Delta Air Lines in previous liquidity crises, Northwest Airlines believes it will be pushed toward filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection if it can't win labor-cost concessions from its principal unions. Unlike American and Delta, Northwest also risks bankruptcy unless Congress passes pension-relief legislation.
NASA is staring at a great deal that it shouldn't refuse. Deep Impact was spectacularly successful last week in hitting and observing the comet Tempel 1, and mission leader Mike A'Hearn is proposing that the surviving flyby spacecraft, by all accounts in excellent health with undamaged instruments, be sent to chase another comet (see p. 28).
Dale F. Goodrich has been named the first director of the recently formed Next Generation Air Transportation System Institute. The institute is being organized by the Air Traffic Control and Air Transport Assns. so industry can work closely with the integrated product teams in the Joint Planning and Development Office to design a new air traffic management system for 2025. Goodrich is a commercial airline pilot and USAF Reserve colonel.
Richard Aarons, safety editor and former editor-in-chief of Business and Commercial Aviation magazine, has won the Airbus Decade of Excellence Award in the annual international competition organized by The World Leadership Forum on behalf of the Royal Aeronautical Society and l'Aéro-Club de France. BCA is a sister magazine to Aviation Week & Space Technology. BCA staffer Kathleen Bangs received the Rolls-Royce Award for the Aerospace Journalist of the Year and the Airbus Award for Best Safety Submission.
German aerospace center DLR and French space agency CNES will set up a joint network with the French National School of Telecommunications (ENST) to enhance the processing and analysis of data from Earth-observation satellites. The network is intended to improve the ability of ground data facilities to handle the huge amounts of imagery from future high-resolution spacecraft with automated processing and analysis techniques.
Lockheed Martin's Colorado Springs facility has won a two-year, $24.7-million USAF contract for continued development of an Internet-based mission execution system that allows war- fighting commanders from any service and special operations to work together in real time on battlefield strikes.
European safety experts and airline pilot unions are calling on regulatory authorities and airlines to devise innovative regulations for ultralong flights with times approach- ing 20 hr. Newly delivered Airbus A340-500s and Boeing 777-200ERs enable airlines to operate nonstop flights of up to 9,000 naut. mi. in unprecedented durations. Pioneering operations by Singapore Airlines (SIA) and Cathay Pacific Airways, which began last year, are providing key operational input.
Air-India on July 7 started four-times-weekly service with leased Airbus A310s to Seoul via Hong Kong. Plans to consolidate existing routes in East Asia include doubling the two weekly flights between New Delhi and Shanghai beginning July 27, and increasing flights to Bangkok, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. According to Commercial Director V.K. Verma, the U.S. is Air-India's fastest growing market, with services to four cities increasing to 28 from 10 in the past two years. The carrier is now eyeing San Francisco and is said to be seeking expansion in the Southern U.S.
In an effort to facilitate the sale of used commercial transports in North America, Aeroconseil plans to establish a U.S. branch soon. The French group expects to generate additional revenues by supplying used European aircraft to U.S. operators.
A General Electric unit that is a leading financier of corporate aircraft and helicopters is acquiring nearly $1 billion in leases and loans on 380 aircraft from commercial lending giant CIT. GE Commercial Finance is buying most of CIT's corporate aircraft portfolio, including $700 million in loans and $200 million in leases. CIT, which seeks to increase focus on high-growth areas, will retain $500 million in fractional aircraft shares and "select" leases.
A wide array of U.S. military air, sea and land forces and European military support is moving into position to thwart any terrorist threats against the shuttle and to provide search and rescue if necessary for Discovery's crew no matter when launch occurs. In the U.S., those operations are being coordinated by the U.S. Northern Command in cooperation with NASA and the Defense Dept.'s Manned Space Flight Support Office.
A chart in the Top-Performing Companies issue (AW&ST June 6, p. 42) contained inaccurate figures on EADS. In 2004, the company recorded sales per employee of $391,387 and profit per employee of $12,690, ranking it ahead of Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Also, incorrect revenues for 2004 were listed for Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. Korean had revenues of $7.123 billion and should have been listed as a large airline. Asiana Airlines had revenue of $2.917 billion and should have been listed as a medium-sized airline.
The Space Shuttle Main Engine, developed 30 years ago, remains a strong candidate for use in the new Exploration Initiative as part of a shuttle-derived heavy-lift expendable booster. This is because the Boeing-Rocketdyne man-rated SSME remains the most highly efficient liquid rocket engine ever developed. There are only enough parts for 12-15 existing SSMEs, however, so one NASA option is to reinitiate SSME production to use it as a throw-away, as opposed to a reusable, powerplant for NASA's new heavy-lift booster.
Boeing says its new chairman, CEO and president, James McNerney, Jr., will be paid up to $53 million during the life of a three-year contract that began July 1. The contract will have automatic two-year extensions unless either he or the company gives notice. The intent, Boeing says, was to make McNerney "whole" on what he was paid by 3M as chairman and CEO. His base salary is $1.75 million plus an annual bonus from $2.98-4 million. The bonuses will be paid from 2005-10 and then revert to bonus plans like those of other senior executives.
Honeywell Aerospace has become the first original equipment manufacturer to support Boeing's Integrated Materials Management program, which maintains an airline's spare parts inventory on an as-needed basis. The IMM initiative is aimed at trimming airline operating costs by reducing inventory levels. For IMM, Honeywell will provide a variety of mechanical products, such as valves, switches and seals. IMM's current customers are AirTran Airways, All Nippon Airways, Delta Air Lines, Japan Airlines, KLM and Japan Transocean Air.
NATO's efforts to broaden the command structure of its rapid reaction force are moving forward, as evidenced by the recent transfer of air operations to France and the U.K. On July 1, the two countries took over the air command element of the NATO Reaction Force (NRF), duties previously handled by the alliance's Joint Command headquarters at Brunsum, Germany, and Naples, Italy. France will take the lead for the first six months and Britain, for the remainder of the 12-month tour.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO. AND PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP. have teamed to offer PowerAdvantage Plus to operators of Cessna Citation-series business jets. The program includes the Citation Bravo, Encore, Excel, Sovereign and the new Mustang, all of which are powered by various turbofan engines such as the PW530A, PW535A, PW306C and the PW615F. The new plan provides Citation owners with an engine management cost plan that is "predictable and dependable," according to Jack Stiffler, vice president for Citation parts distribution.
NASA Administrator Michael Griffin may be fired if "we goof" on thermal protection system repairs, but the astronauts will die. Astronauts know the risk will be there, but Griffin, in his words, is "at the top of that pyramid" and should be sure he can live with his decision to go on without the proper solution in place if NASA goofs. Many people at the Marshall Space Flight Center do not want to risk another goof just because we really need to get the shuttle flying again. The International Space Station will continue with or without the shuttle or U.S.
The British Defense Ministry should consider introducing approaches used to meet Urgent Operational Requirements (UOR) into its mainstream procurement system, according to the Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The PAC contrasted the ministry and industry's ability "to innovate quickly and economically" in meeting UORs with the "interminable time and cost problems" associated with mainstream procurements.
Raytheon Network Centric Systems was awarded a $37-million contract increase to develop a steering system for all-electric laser access communication beams. The work is to be completed by mid-2007. Northrop Grumman Space and Mission systems was awarded a $16.8-million contract modification, also to develop the steering system with a deadline of spring 2007.
Although a Supreme Court nomination battle may slow much of the Senate's business this summer, aviation and aerospace industry interests say they aren't worried about their pet legislation--yet. Even before Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her resignation from the high court on July 1, Senate leaders were telling members that floor time will be at a premium--there are still nine appropriations bills to clear. Observers predict Senate fireworks for her successor, depending on President Bush's nominee. But Jon Etherton of the Aerospace Industries Assn.
AirAsia, a low-cost carrier based in Malaysia, has signed a 15-year avionics service and support contract with Rockwell Collins for an undisclosed sum. The agreement covers Rockwell Collins equipment on 60 Airbus A320s now entering service and potentially 40 more under an option.
According to James Greb, any airline that gives its passengers "no alternative to turboprops . . . will be rewarded with empty cabins and reduced revenues" (AW&ST June 6, p. 8). Three factors suggest otherwise: *What do the airlines have to lose? Most are either bankrupt or nearly so. With the price of oil at $60 per barrel and still climbing, turboprops are looking better every day. The risk of alienating a few potential customers is the lesser evil to liquidation.
